Electric switch unit



April 26, 1949. R WE 2,468,235

ELECTRIC SWITCH. UNIT Filed Nov. '7, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INSULATION INSULATION 'IIIII/III .7 I W512 i ,;J 34 m/suLAr/o/v 20 INVENTOR Raymond /V. Rowe AT RNEY April 26, 1949. R. N. ROWE 2,468,235

ELECTRIC SWITCH UNIT Filed Nov. 7, 1946 2 Sheds-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Raymond IV. Rowe ORA/f Y Patented Apr. 26. 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC SWITCH UNIT Raymond N. Rowe, Plainville, Conn, assignor to The Trumbull Electric pany, Plainville, (Jonrn,

necticut Manufacturing Coma corporation of Con- Application November 7, 1946, Serial No. 708,375

of maximum current carrying capacity for a given size.

Another object is to provide a unit which can be readily adapted to various conditions, e. g. for use with or without fuses or protective relays or with fuses of differentsizes.

In carrying out the invention, I mount the various current carrying elements between insulating side plates which are suitably secured together to hold them in place.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one form of unit embodying my invention.

Fig. 1 is a side view of a switch unit embodying one form of the invention, one of the side plates being omitted so as to disclose all of -the other parts, the movable switch member bein shown in the open circuit or joif position.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3a is a transverse sectional view taken on the plane of the line 3a-3a of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side view of part of the switch unit of Fig. 1 on a larger scale and showing the switch in the closed circuit or on position.

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing all of the parts of the switch unit.

I In the form shown, the side plates 1, l, of

insulating fibre or other switch material, supports all the contacts and are dissipating members. Terminal strips 8 and 9 constitute convenient supports for the unit. Stationary contact it isformed on a raised portion of a strip 8 and sta tionary contact i I is formed as a part of the supporting strip l2 for the fuse.

The other fuse support I3 is a part of the strip 9. Any suitable fuse clips l4, l5 may be mounted on supports I 2 and I3. A screw seat 52' may be provided so as to accommodate the relocation of the clip l4 if desired. The various conductive parts are supported between the side plates '5, l for instance by being provided with lugs such as lugs l6, l6, IS in part 8 which fit in recesses or holes '6', l6, It, in the side plates. Part 9 has 6 Claims. (Cl. 200-144) 2 lugs l1, ll, II which fit recesses or holes ll, l'! and H in the side plates. Part I! has lugs ll,

- l8, II which fit holes ll, I8 audit in the side plates.

The movable switch member I 9 is forked in the form of a U-shaped part carried by the saddle 2.. These parts are connected by lugs 2| which are interlocked in notches 22 in the switch contact member l9. This saddle receives a crank shaft 22 by which it is moved back and forth.

The switch member is'guided by lugs or cars 24 which slide in slots 25 in the side plates. A compensating spring 26 may be conveniently mounted within the arms of member H to assist in expanding it to ensure good contact engagement between the contacts In and l I.

The tips of the contacts are flared at 28 and 28 to assist in guiding the movable contact into position. The contact faces 30, 30 of the movable member l9 may be formed of any suitable material and are preferably tapered toward the stationary contacts so that when the switch member is drawn away from the stationary contacts the arc will be drawn toward the center.

To assist in dissipating the are, I provide grids of discrete conductive bars or pins 3|, 3| and 32, 32 adjacent the opposite sides of the path of movement of the movable switch member. These pins have flattened ends supported in holes 3! and 32' respectively in the side plates.

Insulating abutment plates or guards 33 and 34 are supported close to the tips of the contacts in holes 33' and 35' above and below the grids 3i and 32 respectively to prevent flash of the are to conductive parts of the switch or the box in which the unit may be mounted.

. Between the stationary contacts it, and i i,

v I mount an insulating barrier 35 which extends between the arms of the movable switch member and between the grids 3i and 32 to keep the arcs separated as far as possible. This barrier has flanges 35 which are supported in slots 36' in the side plates. Behind the contacts i8 and H, I provide an insulating abutment 37 which has a slotted engagement 38 with the end of the barrier 3t. This abutment prevents striking an arc to the terminal mounting bolt (not shown).

The parts may be held together by the lugs which extend from the conducting elements into the side plates or by other conventional means.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a self-supporting switch unit comprising two metallic strips having supporting feet, a fuse terminal on one end of one of said strips, 2. lower switch contact ascaaae on the other strip, an upper switch contact arranged opposite the lower contact. a fuse terminal integrally connected with the upper contact and arranged opposite the first-mentioned fuse terminal, an insulating barrier extending between said contacts, side plates connecting all of said parts in fixed relation and a switch memher having two spaced arms slidably supported by said plates for moving between said contacts at opposite faces of said barrier and means for detachably connecting said switch member to the operating crank of actuating mechanism.

2. As an article of manufacture, a self-supporting switch unit comprising two metallic strips, each havin a supporting foot at one end, a fuse terminal on one end of one of said strips, a lower switch contact on the other strip, an upper switch contact arranged opposite the lower contact, a fuse terminal integrally connected with the upper contact and arranged opposite the firstmentioned fuse terminal, insulating side plates connecting all of said parts in fixed relation, a switch member slidably supported between said plates for moving between said contacts and a saddle connected to said switch member and guided to slide between said plates and having an opening for detachable connection with an Operating crank of actuating mechanism.

3. As an article of manufacture, a self-supporting switch unit comprising two metallic strips having supporting terminal feet, a fuse supporting terminal integral with one end of one of said strips, a lower switch contact integral with the other strip, an upper switch contact arranged opposite the lower contact, a fuse supporting terminal integrally connected with the upper contact and arranged opposite the first-mentioned fuse supporting terminal, insulating side plates connecting all of said parts in fixed relation, a switch member having two spaced arms, a saddle connected to said switch member and guided to slide in said plates and having an opening for detachable connection with the operating crank of actuating mechanism and a guide member mounted between said plates and extending between the arms of said switch member.

4. As an article of manufacture, a switch unit comprising two spaced insulating side plates, metailic strips secured between said plates at opposite ends thereof, each strip having a foot serving as a support for the unit, one strip having a contact portion extending between said plates, the other strip having an extension constituting a supporting member for one end of a circuit protective device, a third strip supported between said plates, one end of said latter strip having a contact portion spaced away from the firstmentioned contact portion and the other end of said latter strip having means for supporting the other end of a circuit protective device, a saddle guided to slide in said plates and having two parts for engaging on opposite sides of an operating shaft, a switch member having spaced arms connected to said saddle and means carried by i said side plates for guiding said switch member to position between said contacts.

5. As an article of manufacture, a switch unit comprising two spaced insulating plates, terminal strips secured between said plates at opposite ends thereof, each strip having a foot serving as a support for the unit, one strip having a terminal contact extending between said plates, the other strip having an extension constituting a supporting member for one end of a fuse, a third strip supported between said plates, one end of said latter strip having a contact spaced away from the first-mentioned contact and the other end of said latter strip having means for supporting the other end of a fuse, a saddle guided to slide in said plates and having two parts for engaging on opposite sides of an operating crank shaft, a switch member having two spaced arms connected to said saddle, an insulating barrier between said plates for guiding said switch member to position between said contacts and an insulatlng abutment at the end of said barrier remote from said switch member for confining any are between said barrier, said abutment, said side plates and said terminal contact.

6. A switch unit comprising two metallic strips, each of which has a terminal foot for supporting the unit, one strip having a contact portion extending generally toward the other strip, said other strip having a fuse supporting member in a plane parallel with its foot, a second fuse supporting member in the same plane with the first-- mentioned fuse supporting member, a contact portion connected to the second fuse supporting member and spaced apart from the first-mentioned contact portion, insulating side plates supporting all of said strips including said contact portions and said fuse supporting members, a saddle having lugs slidable in said side plates and having an opening facing in a direction away from the plane of said fuse supporting members for fitting over an actuating member, a switch member connected to said saddle and means for guiding said switch member to slide between said contact portions.

RAYMOND N. ROWE.

REFERENCES crran The following references are of record in the 

